Harlem's Rev. Calvin Butts, Abyssinian Church Pastor, Dies At 73

HARLEM, NY — The Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, who led Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church for decades and emerged as a major figure in neighborhood politics and real estate, died Friday at age 73.

Butts's death was announced early Friday morning in social media posts by the church. His son told the New York Times that the cause was pancreatic cancer.

"The Butts Family and entire Abyssinian Baptist Church membership solicit your prayers for us in our bereavement," Abyssinian said.

Raised in Queens, Butts joined Abyssinian as a youth pastor in 1972, eventually ascending to the pastor role that had once been occupied by luminaries like Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

In the pulpit, Butts focused on growing Abyssinian's "core values" of worship, evangelism, service and education, according to his official biography.

Outside the church, Butts served for 20 years as president of the the State University of New York at Old Westbury. He also waded into politics, notably welcoming Fidel Castro to Abyssinian after the Cuban President had been snubbed by other city leaders during a 1995 visit.

But he was also known for his "political unpredictability," as the New York Times reported — years earlier in 1992, Butts had endorsed independent Ross Perot for president, and later backed Republican George Pataki for re-election as governor in 1998.

The reverend had political ambitions of his own, openly flirting with running for mayor and extolling the values of collaboration and negotiation.

"There is room for the uncompromising, belligerent, nasty, guerilla activist," Butts told the Times in 1995. "But you change when you are responsible for an institution. I got folks I got to pay. I got families."

Meanwhile, in 1989, Butts helped found the Abyssinian Development Corporation, a nonprofit corporation that ultimately built or owned more than $1 billion in housing and commercial real estate in Harlem, according to the church.

Its biggest projects included a Pathmark supermarket on 125th Street and the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, which became Harlem's first new public high school in 50 year when it opened in 2004.

But Butts and the corporation later came under scrutiny for their financial dealings as the nonprofit struggled, and faced criticism for poor living conditions in its residential buildings and for selling off assets including the Pathmark building.

"The concept was simply to stop the deterioration of the housing stock in Harlem and restore it for working-class families — what you might call the working poor," Butts said in defense of the corporation.

More recently, Butts won plaudits for encouraging Harlemites to get the COVID-19 vaccine, getting the shot himself when a vaccination site opened at Abyssinian in early 2021.

"People trust their church," Butts said at the time. "We've been here for 213 years and they believe that we would bring them something that would be good for the health of the community."

Butts was married for more than 50 years to his wife, Patricia, and had three children and six grandchildren.

Those mourning Butts's loss included the Rev. Al Sharpton, Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. Kathy Hochul, who all released statements following news of his death.

"Dr. Butts was a force for moral clarity, a voice for his Harlem community, a counselor to so many of us in public service and I was proud to call him a friend," Hochul said. "We will miss him greatly."

Mayor Eric Adams ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on city buildings starting Saturday, in Butts's memory.

"The Reverend was a mentor to me throughout my life, helping me grow as a person and meet the challenges of being mayor," Adams said.